Lock for transmission-levers.



'0. A; BENHAM.

. LOCK FOR TRANSMISSION LEVERS.

TION FILED MAR 20 1,096,988. PatentedMay19,1914.

OLIVER A. BENHAM omvna Al BENHAM, or Darren, OHIO.

L'OGK FOB. TRANSMISION-LEVERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1 91.4.

Application filed March 20, 1913. Serial No. 755,603.

To all Whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER AJBENHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for 'Iransmission-Levers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de-- scription of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and'to the'lette'rsand figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in transmission lever .locks' for automobiles. r a

The object of theinvent'ion'is to provide a lock of this type which is adapted to lock transmission levers as hereinafter described .a'ndclaimed- Referring'to the. accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a transmis sion lever with my intention applied there-- to,"and the socket being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to Fig.-

, 1; Fig. '3 is a' fragmental view showing the locking member in a locking position; and. Fig. 4 is a section'on the line 4-4t of Fig. 1.

In the specification and drawings, similar' reference characters indicate correspondingparts.

s5 an automobile. The lower end of said lever Referrmg'more particularly to the drawmgs, 5 represents a transmission leverof isp'rovided' with a ball 6 which rests infa,

- socket formed by an upper member-'7 and a' lower member 8. The member 7 -is providedwith an opening 9 of largendiameter than thelever 5 to permit said lever to oscillate in all directions. When: the said lever' 5 is in a central position, or that shown in the drawings, it is neutral and the transmission gears of the automobile are'inoperative, as is common in allautomobiles;

To lockthef lever 5' in its neutral position and: to thereby prevent unauthorized persons operating the machine, the following device ls 'provided. Mounted: along lihQSidB- fof all locks. ,to be placed around said le'ver 5, said head '13'is provided-with an open'in of the lever 5 is a locking member consisting of av shank 10 provided with elongated open ings 11. Extending through said openings 11 are head pins 12 which are rigidly secured in said levers 5 to maintain and guide said locking member. The pins 112 permit the said shank 10 to reciprocate on said leverf5 without being removed therefrom.

Mounted on or attached to the lower end of y the said shank 10 is an annular open head 13 which partially surrounds said lever 5.

The outer diameter of said head 13 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening 9 of the socket member 7 thus permitting said head 13 to be placed within the member 7 when the shank A10 is lowered. When said head 13 lies within said opening 9, as is shown in Fig. 3, the lever 5 1s prevented -.from beingv rocked or actuated, thereby preventing any shifting of the gears and insuring the automobile against operation. Said shank 10 and head 13 carried thereby may be locked in either the upperor lower position by any well known form" of lock, or, as follows.

Extending from and connected to the uppermost pin 12' is a lock-bolt 14 which extends into a lock 15 mounted on the extreme upper end of the shank 10. The lock 15, in the presentinstance, is provided with a key cylinder 16 ,which, -wh en rotated by the proper key,

will reciprocate the lock 15, shank 10 and head ,13 on the lever 5, thebolt 14 remaining stationary relative; to said lever 5. When said shank 10 and the parts carried thereby' are at the end of their extreme movement, they are locked in saidpositions by the lock 16 which is common to the bolts To enable the annular head .13

17 of a width sufficient to enable the said head to receive the small or upper .endbf the lever.

Havingjdescribed my invention, I claim. In a device'for the purpose specified, the combination with a shifting lever having a ballv portion, a socket member adapted to receive said. ball portion, 'an annular member between 'said shifting lever and said socket member, and t a slidable member Q nated in a head open on one sideand' su'r- In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- A p i 7 1,096,988

mounted on said s hifting lever, said slidher to prevent the-operation of the shifting able member having its lower end termilever. 10

rounding sai'dshifting lever, and anextentur'e, in presence of two witnesses.

sion from said'head, lying parallel with the- I I .;.=:-OI I V ER. AL BENHAM.,- shift-inglever, and means for locking said Witnesses:"" v w p head and extended portion; in a 1 lowered 1 R. MOCARTY,

position Withthe head in said socket mem- ,IMA'I'IHEWI-SIEBLER. 

